The Heir Apparent: Hamzat and the Politics of Lagos Continuity

Adebayo Adeoye

On October 30, at the unveiling of his governorship manifesto, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat received the endorsement every political aspirant in Lagos covets. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, standing before party leaders and supporters, declared that he had come not to offer goodwill messages but “to testify.”
The declaration was more than a show of solidarity. For Hamzat, who has occupied the second position in Lagos State since 2019, it represented a public affirmation of his long-awaited political ambition and a symbolic passing of the baton from his principal.
With the endorsement, Hamzat’s emergence as the All Progressives Congress ,APC candidate for the 2027 governorship election appears to have consolidated a carefully managed succession. If elected, he would become the first deputy governor in Lagos State’s history to succeed his principal directly as governor.
A long wait, repaid
Hamzat’s journey to the governorship ticket has been marked by ambition, setbacks and strategic patience. In 2015, he contested the APC governorship primary against Akinwunmi Ambode but lost. Three years later, he stepped aside for Sanwo-Olu, who secured the party’s nomination and subsequently won the election.
That decision is now widely regarded by his supporters as evidence of loyalty and political maturity. His reward has come through a succession process that gathered momentum this year.
In April, President Bola Tinubu endorsed Hamzat as the consensus candidate during a meeting with the Lagos Governance Advisory Council, the party’s influential leadership body. The council cited the need for peace, cohesion and continuity.
Hamzat subsequently won the APC primary with 657,917 votes, becoming the first deputy governor in Lagos to secure the party’s governorship ticket. In June, Sanwo-Olu formally unveiled him alongside his running mate, .
Consensus and its discontents
Yet the smoothness of Hamzat’s emergence has raised questions about the place of internal competition in the party’s democratic process.
Several aspirants had expressed interest in the ticket, including former governor Akinwunmi Ambode and Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, who joined the APC after contesting the 2023 governorship election on the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party.
Some aspirants reportedly purchased nomination forms before party leaders settled on Hamzat, while groups in Badagry Division called for the ticket to be zoned to their area.
The party maintained that its procedures had been respected. Sanwo-Olu also argued that consensus endorsement did not negate democratic processes. Nevertheless, the extent to which the arrangement reflected genuine unity or the influence of party leadership remains a subject of political debate.
Experience as a selling point
Sanwo-Olu’s argument for his deputy rests largely on experience and continuity. Lagos, he maintains, is too complex to be entrusted to a political novice.
The governor has pointed to major infrastructure projects, including rail expansion and the proposed Fourth Mainland Bridge, as initiatives requiring consistent leadership and long-term planning.
Hamzat’s manifesto, organised around seven pillars and a 100-point plan, promises improvements in transportation, healthcare, housing and public services. He has pledged an inclusive and economically vibrant Lagos, promising that traders, artisans, transport workers, young people, professionals and investors will have a place in his administration.
The campaign, led by Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, has adopted the slogan “Lagos Forward Together.”
Lagos remains the political home of President Tinubu, and APC leaders have linked the 2027 governorship contest to the party’s broader electoral ambitions.
Ultimately, Hamzat enters the race with formidable institutional backing. But the real test will extend beyond party structures and political endorsements.
For Lagosians, the question is whether continuity under a familiar leadership can translate into tangible improvements in their lives. Hamzat has secured the baton. Convincing voters that he can carry it forward is the challenge that lies ahead.